EP 45 – The Harsh Truth About Scaling and Selling a Recruitment Business w/ Rob Saltrese

What if selling your recruitment business isn’t the dream you’ve been sold?In this episode, I’m joined by Rob Saltrese — serial founder, fractional C-suite advisor, and the brutally honest voice every recruitment entrepreneur needs to hear.We unpack the real story behind scaling a business, navigating ego, loneliness, ADHD, and why most exits are anything but sexy. Rob shares raw lessons from growing multiple companies, walking away from a multi-million pound deal, and rebuilding after it all fell apart — mentally, financially, and personally.We cover:✅ Why most recruitment exits aren’t as glamorous as they seem✅ The harsh realities of being a solo founder✅ Loneliness, ego, mindset and bouncing back from burnout✅ What buyers actually care about (hint: it’s not your logo)✅ Why helping others with no agenda is Rob’s biggest mantraWhether you’re a one-person startup or dreaming of a future sale, this episode is full of perspective-shifting insights.⏱ Timestamps:00:00 – Rob’s intro and early career in recruitment04:15 – The reality of starting your own business08:30 – Ego, finances, and the mental toll of entrepreneurship14:05 – Rob’s personal rock bottom and bounce-back strategy19:45 – ADHD, focus, and founder mindset hacks25:10 – Why most people aren’t ready to start a business30:00 – What a real (and painful) exit looks like38:40 – The myth of the £100M recruitment sale43:15 – Why buyers care about EBIT, not your branding48:00 – Helping female execs through Artemis and Gen.E.I.52:00 – Advice for solo founders & recruiters thinking of launching🔗 Connect with Rob SaltreseLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-saltrese-17263a2/🔗 Connect with Charles KyriakouLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskyriakou1/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charles.kyriakou?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-better-recruitment-podcast/id1775201502Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46LjJfw0Y4IVJwnigCdxJXLinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712/?displayConfirmation=true